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Keywords
Rural, Primary, Upper Primary. School, Alternative
Geographical Location
Anantpur District, Andhra Pradesh
Languages
Telugu, English
Philosophy/Beliefs
Timbaktu Collective is a voluntary organization that began in 1990 in the remote villages of Anantapur district. Timbaktu Collective has several focus areas of work including the following – environmental and ecological sustainability, working with women and working with children. The collective takes a holistic approach in addressing the problems of the people they work with. Working with children has come as a response to the highly burdensome and meaningless education in mainstream schools. Timbaktu Collective works with extremely poor people near Chennakothapalli village in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh.
The underlying philosophy of the collective is that childhood and learning should be a joyful experience; so alternative teaching methodologies are used to engage the interest of the children.
Objective/Mission/Goals
The main objectives of the school are to provide happy childhood, learning to live without fear, integration with surroundings and gaining life skills.
Work Description
The collective has an ongoing program for alternative education for children who have dropped out of the local government schools. There are four day schools in different villages and one residential school in a piece of land named Timbaktu where 250 children attend. Most of the children in coming to these schools have dropped out of government schools because they are frequently abused by the teachers there (either physically or verbally, in the form of demeaning comments about their caste, appearance or background), or because of the dreary nature of the government schools (overcrowded dingy class rooms and a curriculum taught without much imagination, emphasizing rote learning).
The education in the schools emphasizes hands on work as in making models with clay or hard paper. The instruction is through dialogue and the children are encouraged to be inquisitive and ask questions, rather than just memorize facts. The children are also taught about their own local customs and culture, such as the local folklore, traditional dances and songs, and local art forms. This is so that the children do not grow up alienated from their own customs and feel secure in the value of their own local traditions.
The school believes that every aspect academics, living skills, agriculture, everything should be treated on an equal footing! In this direction dairy farming, poultry, agriculture, building construction and other activities have been included in the syllabus.
Language skills (reading, writing etc) are developed using what the children are already familiar with – in this case agriculture, their lives and traditions. Different techniques like cards, audio-visual facilities, and computers are used as well.
A children’s resource center that has a good library, computer facilities, workshop & laboratory and play material is available from early morning till late evening for all children. This resource center has card systems, CD-ROMS to help in learning, reading writing, analytical abilities. This is a space that encourages self-learning and peer learning, where the children are free to learn on their own and from their peers.
Contact Information
Subba Raju
Timbaktu Collective
Chennakothapalli village
Anantapur District
Andhra Pradesh 515101
Phone: 08559 240335 / 240149
Website Links
Presentation at January 2003 conference
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